Plaster-board-handling apparatus



Aug 311 ,']192&

/ J. F. MAKOWSKE PLASTER BOARD HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 24, 1923 5sheets-sheet 1 INVEN TOR. J FMai'amwZW BY Qfi "Qb ATTORNEY Amigo 31 W2,

J1. F. MAKOWSKI PLASTER BOARD HANDLING APPARATUS Filed 12 24, 1923 3Sheets-Sheet 2 mg/mw IN V EN TOR.

Q mm ATTORNEY Lassa J1 ZJaakw wski Am gig-Lima, wswn J. F. MAKOWSKIPLASTER BOARD HANDLING \APPARATUS Filed Dec. 24, 1923 3 Shee ts-Sheet 5INVENTOR. 40 5 9 J1 Ffifkzlw wsiw' ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 31, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,598,381 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. uaxowsxr, or srocxron', oauronnm, ASSIGNOB TO cams-03am emmaPRODUCTS COMPANY, OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.

PLASTER-IBOARD-HANDLING APPARATUS.

Application filed December 24, 1923. Serial No. 682,484.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for the handling,cutting and stacking of plaster wall-board during its manufacture, andparticularly represents 5 certain differences and improvements over thestructure shown in my U. S. Patent No. 1,515,397, dated November 11th,1924.

The apparatus which forms the subject of the present invention wasespecially del0 signed to enable the wall board being made with what isknown as unretarded paper 'for the covers or outer surfaces of theboard, instead of the retarded paper now used for the urpose.

T euse of this unretarded paper in the manufacture of Wall board hascertain advantages over the other, both as regards cost and otherfeatures of a technical nature. It is however more sensitive and tenderto handle when first contacted with the wet plaster and saturated withthe moisture therein, and the principal object of this in ventiontherefore is in general to provide an apparatus so constructed thatunretarded mg of the board and may be handled during such making in amanner to reduce to a minimum any danger of the pa er tearing acrosswhen the wet heavy boar s are being moved along from between the feedrolls for cutting and stacking.

In connection with the above named object, I have provided a meanswhereby a sheet of the board is maintained constantly at the same levelrelative to" the top board of the stack over which said sheet is beingdrawn.

This avoids having to lower the entire stack and its supporting means inorder to maintain such relative level, as was the case with the previousapparatus.

This is an im ortant feature. since it not only avoids having to handlethe relatively great Wei ht of the stack and its supporting member, atprevents the board which is being drawn onto said stack, and which istem orarily su ported at its ends and also by t e stack, rom having toogreat a sag between its points of support-something which might resultin the giving way of the paper.

This arrangement alsoenables me to use ordinary wheeled trucks on whichto stack the board as it is made, and as it is a simple matter toprovidesfor the rolling of a loaded paper may be successfully used inthe mak-' truck out of the way and replacin it with an empt truck, thehandlin of t e board is great y expedited, and t e continuous operationof the apparatus will be interfered with but little by the change oftrucks.

A further ob ect is to provide a board supportin surface with the edgeof which the move 1e board-cutting member co-acts, so that any sag ordepression along the line of cut is avoided.

At the same time, may be moved out of the way when the cutting operationis finished, so as to leave a short length of the board projecting inthe clear and in position to be readily grasped by the jaws of thepulling means.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensivedevice and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposesfor which it is designed,

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, foreshortened in places, of the completeapparatus, showing a board as being drawn over and onto a stack of thesame.

tically movable jaw or gripping means,

showing the latter in position to engage the ad'acent end of the board.

l ig. 3 is a fragmentary side view of the apron structure, showing themovable cutter and the movable board-supporting surface in position toco-act with said movable cutter.

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing. the jaw raising operating mechanism,mounted on the truck.

Fig. 5 is a front view of the apron and cutting structures.

Fig. 6 is a similar view of the jaw structure, the truck from which saidstructure depends being omitted.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawings, the numeral 1 denotes the lower roll of paper which is unwoundover a horizontal platform 2 and then between rolls 3, and dis thissupporting surface the upper roll of paper which in its unwinding passesdirectly about the upper one of the rolls 3 and then between bothrolls,1 above the aper from the roll 1.

Above t e platform 2 is the feed chute or hopper 5, for the wet plaster6, wh ch drops onto the surface of t e paper resting on said latform,being then squeezed out and distributed throughout the width of thepaper as the latter passes between the rolls and is drawn along.

The quantity of plaster fed from the hopper is governed by a slidinggate 7 controlled by a lever 8, itself controlled by an operatorstationed at that point.

As soon as the paper, with the plaster therebetween, passes between therolls 3 it becomes the plaster board, and it will hereinafter bereferred to as such, or rather as merely the board, designated by thenumeral 9.

A short distance beyond the rolls 3 the board passes onto an endlesstravelling and horizontally disposed belt lt), the full width of thepaper, and of considerable length, preferably twelve feet or more.

The belt is mounted on rollers 11 of ordinary nature, one at least isdriven from a shaft 12, which has a clutch structure 13 interposedtherein, the shaft, clutch and driving means being shown somewhatconventionally, since this mechanism of itself forms no part of myinvention.

Beyond the belt 10, the board passes onto an apron 14 of suitablelength, the adjacent end of which rests, and may rock and slide on, atransverse supporting piece 15 mounted in a fixed position beyond theadjacent roller.

The opposite end of the apron is transversely hinged or pivoted to theadjacent edge of a short horizontal platform 16 which is rigidlymounted. adjacent its transverse ends on vertical sleeves 17. Thesesleeves are slidable on vertical posts 18, preferably supported from andrigidly secured to overhead horizontal beams 19, which run lengthwise ofthe travel of the belt 10 and board 9 thereon. The posts are spaced farenough apart to allow of unrestricted passage of the board therebetween.

The weight of the apron, sleeves, and other parts connected thereto, iscounterbalanced by means of weights 20 to which are connected cables 21passing over pulleys 22 mounted on the adjacent beams 19 and thenextending down to connections with the corresponding sleeves 17 Verticalmovement is imparted to the sleeves, and consequently to the membersattached thereto, by means of vertical rackbars 23 secured to theplatform 16 and engaged bypinions 24 mounted on a shaft 25 journaled inbearing members 26 fixed on the posts 18.

A handwheel 27 is mounted on the shaft at one end to enable said shaftto be easily turned.

Hinged or pivoted along the transverse edge of the platform 16 oppositeto the apron 14 is a short apron or board supporting surface 28, theupper faces of the apron 14, platform 16 and member 28 being arranged toform a continuous supporting surface without steps or offsets.

The member 28 is normally held in a substantially horizontal position bymeans of a handle 29 rigidly attached thereto, and which normallyextends horizontally beyond the hinged edge of the member 28, therebyacting as a counterweight and holding the said member up so that itsedge abuts against the adjacent edge of the platform 16, preventingfurther upward movement of the former.

A movable cutting member is provided to co-act with the free or outeredge of the member 28 when the latter is in its upper most position,which comprises a vertical cutting disc 30, whose lower edge is belowthe plane of said outer edge of the member 28 when the latter is in theabove named position.

The cutter 30 is turnably mounted on a frame structure 31 which isslidably mounted on a guide-bar32 extending transversely of the racks 23and secured thereto by means of brackets 33.

A transversely disposed and horizontal pull-rod 34 is attached to theframe 31, and is of such a length that it may be easily reached by anoperator on one side of the machine when the cutter is on the otherside. The guide bar 32 is preferably of such a length that the cuttermay be moved clear of the member 28 at both ends thereof.

The beams 19 extends for a considerable distance beyond the apronstructure, and parallel to the ground, and have rails 35 mounted thereonon which ride the wheels of a carriage or truck 36, from which dependsinside or between the beams, a rigid frame structure 37 of suitabledesign, forming a guide for transversely spaced rack bars 38, to thelower ends of which, and extending therebetween, is secured a transverseand horizontal jaw member 39.

Slidably mounted on the racks above said lower aw member is acooperating and relatively movable jaw member 40 which is raised andlowered at will by means of inions 41 meshing with certain teeth 42 othe racks,

The pinions are fixed on a shaft 43 journaled in boxes 44 mounted on thejaw 40, said shaft having on one end a handle 45 whereby the shaft maybe rotated, thus causing the jaw 40 to move toward or away from, the jaw39.

The raclgs- 38 are also engaged with pin- 51 turnable at. will at will.The handle mally act as a gravity or weight means for l Also mounted onsaid shaft are ratchet wheels 49 engaged by pawls 50, these arts beingarranged to shaft in a manner w ering of the racks.

The pawls however are mounted on a shaft by means of a handle 52, sothat said pawls, by turning the shaft, may bemoved clear of the ratchetwheels 52 is arranged to norrevent rotation o the ich would permitlowholding the pawls engaged, obviating the use of springs.

Likewise mounted on the shaft 47 is an additional ratchet wheel 53engaged by a 55 which is pawl 54 mounted on a lever turnable on theshaft 47, said lever bein adapted to be engaged and moved about theshatt when the aws approach the member 28 by a rigid'arm 56 pro ectinfrom one of the osts 18, or from one oi the bearing mem ers 26. I

The truck is limited in its movement toward the apron and cutterstructure by an suitable means, such as a stop 57 on the track 35, thejaws then projecting beyond the cutter a distance sufficient to causethem to receive the cut end of the board 9 therebetween, as shown inFig. 2. At-the same time, the lever 55 will have been rotated by contactwith the arm 56 a distance suflicient to cause the racks 38, andconsequently the jaws, to be raised a distance equal to the thickness ofa sheet of the board. When the lever disengages from the arm 56, theformer is returned to its normal position by a spring 58 or othersuitable means, the racks 38 being held from downward movement by reasonof the pawls 50 which engage the ratchet wheels 49.

The arm 56 and lever 55 may however be omitted if desired, and the shaft47 turned directly by hand.

When the truck 36 approaches its limit out desired movement away fromthe apron structure, it engages and throws an arm 59 connected to theclutch 13 by suitable con necting means indicated diagrammaticall at 60,whereby the clutch is automatically disengaged by the truck as thelatter reaches its limit of movement away from the apron.

This automatic clutch-throw device how ever forms no part of the presentinvention, since it is fully set forth and claimed in my aforementionedco ending application.

Also, any suitab e means ma be employed to move the truck 36 back anforth. Such features however also present invention, and the truck maybe considered to be moved by handa method of manipulation which has beensuccessfully used with the present apparatus, on account 48 or thelike'fixed on g which the board rests.

.the plane of the cutter 30 form no part of the b of the'improvedfeatures of construction,.

parallel alinement therewith are tracks 61' to. f rm supports'for awheeled truck 62 of sufficient size to su port a stack of the board 9,as shown in ig. 1. v

This truck is positioned so that one end extends beyond and under theapron 28 and the other end is beyond the limit of travel of the truck 36away from said apron.

The operation of the apparatus is as folows:

The board, formed at the time it passes between the rolls 3 aspreviously described, and then in a very wet and green condition, ismoved toward and onto the apron 14 by the constantly moving belt 10 onAs soon as the end of the board reaches (assuming that this is the firstboard made from a fresh supply of stock), the belt is halted, the apron28 is de ressed by raising up on the handle 29, and the truck 36 is thenmoved y toward said apron so that the aws carried thereby may e engagedwith the end of the board which then projects clear of the depressedapron. The latter is preferably not lowered until the jaws are adjacentthereto, in order to avoid a sagging down of the wet board, which mightha pen even though only a very short length 0 the same is unsupported.The 11 per jaw is then clamped ontothe lower aw by the raising of thehandle 45 by an operator.

Previous to this, assuming the truck 62 to be empty, the latform 16 hasbeen lowered, by manipulgtionbf the hand wheel 27, until the apron-28 iswithin a few inches from the floor of the truck. The jaws 39 and 40 havealso been lowered to substantially the same level as that of said apronby release of the pawls 50 while maintaining the shaft 47 under control.

-The apron 14, being hinged at one end and resting on the, fixed support15 at the other end always provides a continuous supporting surface forthe board from the belt 10 to the platform 16.

The jaws being engaged with the board as above stated, the power isagain applied to the belt 10, and the truck 36 is then moved along andaway from the belt by hand or otherwise, an operator holding the handle45 so as to maintain the grip of the jaws on the board.

Due to the fact that a considerable length of the board is resting onthe belt 10 and is eing constantly moved forward .at an even ratethereby, only sufficient driving pressure is applied to the-truck 36 tokee it moving at the same rate as the belt and so that it rests lightlyon the truck 62. Tn other beyond the belt, nor yet so slow that thepositively driven portion of the board has a tendency to fold over ontoitself as the outer and slack portion comes to rest on the truck 62. Thelatter provides a supporting surface for the slack portion of the boardbetween its raised and definitely supported ends as it is being drawnalong by the truck, and as such ends are held but a few inches above thetruck surface, there is but little sag or drop of the board between itsends, and hence no tendency for the board to pull apart and break of itsown weight.

As the truck 36 is moved along, the apron 28 may be left in itsuppermost position, or may be lowered somew at. Also the apron unit as awhole may be vertically ad usted by the o erator during this eriod ifdesired, any sue movement being eft to the udgment of the operator anddepending on the distance it may be desired to have the boardunsupported between the apron 28 and the truck 62.

When the truck 36 has advanced until the clutch-throw arm 59 is engagedthereby, the travel of the belt 10 and board 9 thereon is discontinued.The truck operator will at the same time release the handle 45, allowingthe jaws to open and the adjacent end of the board to drop fromtherebetween onto the truck 62. No difficulty is experienced in timingthe handle-releasing movement of the operator with the throwing of theclutch 13, since when said truck strikes the throw arm 59 a resistanceto the continued movement of the truck is at once had, which is felt bythe operator grasping the handle 45, and gives him a warning si nal tolet go.

The length of board just rawn along is now lying fiat on the board fromits outer end to a point a certain distance from the opposite end whichis still attached to the remainder of the continuous stretch of formedboard and is depending from the raised apron 28.

The board is then cut across by pulling the cutter 30 crosswise of themachine, the apron 28 bein first raised so as to make a firm support orthe board thereabove, and also a fixed cutting edge with which themovable cutter co-acts.

The cutter being drawn across the board and clear of the same, may beleft where it is halted, or returned to its starting point, depending onthe desire and convenience of the operator.

The cut end of the board will now drop onto the truck 62. The truck 36is now returned toward the apron 28, with the jaws open to engage theend of the board resting on said apron. As the jaws. move close to theapron 28, the latter is lowered, leaving the unsupported end of theboard in the M clear, sothat the lower jaw 39 may pass under the same,and the upper jaw 40 thereover.

Just before the jaws move into engagement with the board, the lever 55is engaged by the fixed arm 56, and the racks 38,.and the jaws supportedby the racks, are moved u wardly a distance e ual to the thickness ofthe board just deposited on the truck 62.

About the same time the platform 16 is moved vertically by manipulationof the handwheel 2? so as to cause the projecting end of the board toabout rest on the lower jaw 39 when the latter moves under the board,since it is the upper jaw only which moves to clamp the jaws together.

The parts now being back in the same positions as stated at the outsetof the above description of operations, another and duplicate cycle ofmovement as that above outlined is about to start, and hence furtherdescription is unnecessary.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I haveproduced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of theinvention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a plaster board forming apparatus, a delivering mechanism for theformed board, a supporting element on which the delivered board is to bepiled in stacked relation, and means for raising the delivery mechanismin definitely spaced step by step order'as the pile advances.

2. In plaster board forming apparatus, handling means comprising meansfor advancing the formed board; said means including jaw members to gripthe forward edge of the formed board and sustain and draw the same awayfrom the forming means.

3. In plaster board forming apparatus, handling means comprising meansfor advancing the formed board; said means including jaw members to gripthe forward ed e of the formed board and sustain and dr w the same awayfrom the forming means, and means for vertically adjusting the jawmembers as a unit.

4. A plaster-board handling apparatus including horizontally movablemeans for engaging the end of the board, and reciprocatable through acertain distance, and means whereby said engaging means will be handlingmeans com first supporting means 5. A plaster-board handling apparatus;

including horizontally movable means for engaging the end of the board,and recip-' rocatable through a certain distance, and means wherebyraised vertically a certain distance once with each reciprocation of thesame.

6. In a plaster-board handling apparatus.

a board supporting means mounted 1n a fixed lane, a vertically movablesupporting means eyond said first supporting means, and means forsupportin the board between said fixed and mova le means irrespective ofthe relative levels thereof.

'2'. In a plaster-board handling apparatus a board supporting meansmounted in a fixe lane, a vertically movable supporting means yond saidfirst sup orting means, and onto which the board i om said firstsupporting means passes, and means for engaging the end of the boardwhen the latter is at the outer end of said movable supporting means.

8. In a plaster-board handling apparatus, aboard supporting meansmounted in a fixed plane, a vertically movable supporting means beyondsaid first supporting means, and onto which the board from said firstsup orting means passes, means for engaging t e end of the board whenthe latter is on said movable supporting means, and means for en'-abling the level of said engaging means to be maintained substantiallythe same as that of the movable supporting means.

9. In a plaster-board handling apparatus, a board supporting meansmounted in a fixed plane, a vertically movable supporting means beyondsaid first supporting means, and onto which the board from said firstsupporting means passes, anda vertically movable means for engaging theend of the board when the latter is on said movable supporting means.

ll). In a plaster-board tus, a board supportin means mounte in a fixedplane, a vertica ly movable supporting means beyond said firstsupporting means, and onto which the board from said passes, and meansfor causing the board to travel from the first onto the second namedsupporting means.

11. In plaster board forming apparatus,

rising means for advancing the formed ard; said means including jawmembers to grip the forward edge of the formed board and sustain anddraw the same away from the forming means, and means for verticallyadjusting thg jaw members as a unit in step by step or er.

12. A plaster board handling apparatus handling ap arasaid engagingmeans will be and horizontally movable means oparranged to form acontinuous a board supporting means mounted in a fixed plane, beyondsaid first hinged to the vertically movable supporting means, and amember fixed adjacent said first named supporting means and on which theadjacent end of the apron slidably rests.

15. A plaster-board handling apparatus including horizontally movablemeans for a vertically movable supporting means supporting means, anapron engaging the end of the board, means for supporting said end ofthe board riorto its engagement, and means for moving both thesupporting and board engaging means vertically.

16. In a plaster-board handling apparatus, vertically adjustable meansfor engaging one end of the board, and a horizontally movable member,mounted in a fixed plane, supporting said adjustable means.

17. In plaster board forming apparatus, handling means comprising meansfor advancing the formed board; said means including horizontallyreciprocable aw members to. grip the forward edge of t e formed boardand sustain and draw the same away from the forming means, and'means forvertically adjusting the jaw members as a unit with each reciprocatorymovement thereof.

18. In a plaster-board handling apparatus, opposed jaw membersadjustable vertically relative to each other, a vertically movablesupporting member for said awe, and means actuated by the movement 0said supporting member for moving said jaw movable jaw to and from thefixed jaw at will.

21. In a plaster-board handling apparatus, a horizontally movablemember, vertical and transversely spaced members supported thereby, ajaw member fixed on and extending between said members, a movable jawmember slidably mounted on sald vertical members, and means mounted inconnection with the fixed jaw for moving the other jaw relative thereto.

22. In a plaster-board handling appara tus, a horizontally movablemember, vertical and transversely spaced members supported thereby, ajaw member fixed on and extending between said members, a movable jawmember slidably mounted on said vertical members, means mounted inconnection with the fixed jaw for moving the other jaw relative thereto,and independent means for raising the vertical members. 7

23. In a plaster-board handling apparatus, a horizontally movablemember, vertical and transversely spaced members supported thereby, ajaw member fixed on and extending between said members, a movable jawmember slidably mounted on said vertical members, means mounted inconnection with the fixed jaw for moving the other jaw relative thereto,and mdependent means for raising the vertical members, without alteringthe level of the sup ortin means.

24. In a plaster-board handling apparatus, opposed jaw membersadjustable vertically relative to each other, a supporting member forsaid jaws, reciprocatable through a certain horizontal distance, jawmeans supported by said member, a lever, means between said lever andthe jaw means for causing the latter to be moved vertically with amovement of said lever, and means for engaging and moving the lever asthe supporting means approaches the end of its travel in one direction.

25. In a plaster-board handling apparatus, opposed jaw membersadjustable vertically relative to each other, a supporting member forsaid jaws, reciprocatable through a certain horizontal distance, jawmeans supported by said member, a lever, means between said lever andthe jaw means for causing the latter to be moved vertically with amovement of said lever, and a fixed arm with which said lever contactsat a predetermined point in the travel of the supporting member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature,

JOHN F. MAKOWSKI.

